Last updated July 27/10  

The "We" Behind the Website

Heather Geddie Web Content and design		Mary Mathias Editor Print Edition

Heather Geddie ─ People who know me, know that I tell long stories, and this one will be no exception. I'm Heather Geddie, a proud resident of North Point Douglas for the past 10 years.

I confess I was one of those people who lived outside the community and was afraid to come here, because of what I'd read and heard about the neighbourhood. I had a friend that I used to visit in the summertime, and I only came here because of her.

From my apartment on Corydon, I would ride here on my bike, lock it up in my friend's house so it wouldn't be stolen or vandalized, and then ride home as fast as I could at the end of each visit. In the winter I wouldn't visit at all, as I was afraid to take the bus in this area. Because I spent so little time in the community, I saw nothing to change my mind, and remained fearful.

After being in Vancouver for nearly two years on a family matter, I came back to Winnipeg and was lucky enough to be able to rent a room in my friend's house for the first month I was back. This was in September of 2000. Within a month, I had found my wonderful little house, which I could actually afford, even on a minimum wage job, and had fallen in love with the neighbourhood and its amazing people.

I discovered Metro Meats and their famous kielbasa, and the landmark California Fruit Market. When telling friends from 'outside' how to find us, as most of them had no clue where Point Douglas is, I'd say "Turn right at California Fruit" and they'd know instantly where I was. Once those friends began to join me here, they too fell in love with the place, and some have come to stay.

The community I've come to be part of  is close-knit, passionate and has the biggest collective heart of any community I've ever known. When a dear friend of mine moved in to South Point Douglas, I became familiar with that unique part of the community as well, and soon began to think of the two as one, as do many others. There may not be many South Pointers, but they are a force to be reckoned with.

This is not to say that there weren't problems here. Much of what I'd read and heard was true, and many of the people who lived here, lived in fear. My own little house was broken into the day I moved in. I wasn't there at the time and the alarm scared them off, but when I came to the house and saw the door ajar, I didn't know if the thugs were still in the house or not. I called 911, the police took half an hour to get here, and then parked in front of the neighbour's house and wouldn't get out of their car.

I waited on the porch for a few minutes, in disbelief, and finally walked over to their car, knocked on the window (which they reluctantly rolled down) and asked them if they would get out of the car and check my house for burglars (which they did, reluctantly and perfunctorily). When telling one of my neighbours this later, he just laughed and said "Welcome to the 'hood!" Apparently this was the level of police 'service' folks here were accustomed to. I couldn't even get the Free Press to deliver a paper to me.

People were complaining to each other over their fences, at their kitchen tables and thinking they had no other options. The gangs were winning. But somehow, through all the talk, we got organized and got political, through the Residents Committee. We went as a group to the AGM, got ourselves elected and got down to work.

Everyone got on board! Where the meetings used to attract no more than 4 or 5 people, if they were held at all, we soon had 30 or more coming out each month, and more new folks getting involved, forming committees. People were excited and hopeful, and inspired to do the hard work necessary to turn this community around.

The Housing Committee worked with the North End Community Renewal Corporation to provide homeowners with exterior fix-up grants which I and many others took advantage of, and soon the neighbourhood was transformed. People took pride in their homes, renters and owners alike.

The Point, our community newspaper was begun, and I was happy to be a part of that transforming publication. It brought the community together, as it was meant to. We got to know our community and each other, to appreciate what we had here and what we were all working for.

Other miracles were happening at this time as well. The community shut down a drug and prostitution ring being run out of the 'grocery store' on the corner of Euclid and Austin and turned it into the North Point Douglas Women's Centre.

A group of women started the first daycare facility in the community, Eagle Wing Early Education Centre, enabling parents in the area to go to work and to school instead of remaining locked in poverty. My own grandchild has been cared for by the centre since she was 4 years old, and has thrived there.

The Norquay Community Centre has struggled for years to meet the recreational and social needs of the community, often without the resources (human and otherwise) that other communities take for granted. But they held their ground, cared for the kids who came there like they would their own, and have persevered in their efforts. Much progress has been made, as community have come together in support of each others efforts, and I see the centre becoming a hive of activity.

Everyone knows the fine job the Norquay School has always done, and I know that firsthand, as my grandchild Calypso attends school there. They are fiercely protective of their kids, and regardless of where the child comes from, once they enter the doors of the school, all are equal, all are special, and all are given the opportunity to reach their full potential.

The Family Room at the school supports the families and encourages involvement in their children's education. The principal and staff at the school works hard to ensure that they are able to provide the resources necessary to meet the needs of their students. I've been told by some parents that they've actually moved into this community so that their kids could attend Norquay School. I'm not surprised to hear it.

The spirit and dedication of members of our community paved the way for the great things that have happened in the past two years and the whole country has witnessed our successes. Through the efforts of the PDRC, the Power Line and many volunteers, we've cleaned up our neighbourhood and are showing other communities how to take back their own streets. Funding was acquired, for the first time, for paid staff for the Residents Committee, and I had the privilege of being one of them for the past year.

Though my term is now ended and it's time for new staff and the next phase of our growth, much was accomplished during my time there. One of the high points was SummerFest. What began as an effort to take back Joe Zuken Park from the gangs became a weekly festival. North and South Point Douglas together celebrated SummerFest, and people from all over the city joined us! Best of all, friends and family gathered in the park and enjoyed all the events and activities there, looking forward to the next weekend with anticipation.

My very best experience on the job was the community survey, conducted with the help of some pretty fantastic volunteers who were absolutely relentless in their pursuit of completed surveys. These women worked day and night to get the job done, interviewing over 900 adults in North and South Point Douglas in 3 1/2 months, an unheard of response rate in the survey industry. That is as much a testament to the passion of the people here, who participated in the survey so willingly and openly, expressing their opinions, hopes and dreams.

Through the results of the survey, the PDRC now has a road map on which to build their plans for the development of the community. The key to their success in this effort is now in the hands of the community. And here I will give a word of warning.

With all our success, people are at risk of becoming complacent, as they may be thinking everything's under control and they can rest on their laurels. They might think they can stop going to the Residents Committee meetings now, because we've come so far so fast. Think again.

Now more than ever, your Residents Committee needs you! The work is not done, it's just moving into the next stage of our journey together. And that's how we must make this journey -- together.

When you get the next edition of The Point, make sure you take note of the date of the next Point Douglas Residents Committee meeting, and make sure you are there, and bring your neighbours. Your participation is vital.

It is my privilege to again serve my community as a volunteer, producing this website in in partnership with The Point Community News, running the rental housing registry, and working to support the efforts of the PDRC and other organizations involved in our community's well-being.

We wish to promote and support our business community, who through the business survey conducted by the PDRC during my time there, expressed a strong interest in being more involved in the community and in developing the businesses and amenities the community wants.

We'd like to focus as well on individual members of our community and share their stories. I shouldn't be the only one who can rattle on about themselves, after all. If you'd like to be next up, let us know.

In the meantime, we welcome your suggestions and comments, and I urge you to visit the PDRC website for the information they provide, particularly volunteer opportunities. There are many ways to become involved and support your community, if meetings are not your thing. If you've had the perseverance to read all the way down to this point in my ramblings, you've got the drive to become a good volunteer!

On that note, thanks for taking the time, and we hope you will check in with us frequently. You never know what you'll find.

Heather Geddie

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Mary Mathias ─ I moved into North Point Douglas in June 1979. Barry Hammond and I rented one of the units in the Lusted Avenue triplex next to Norquay School. In those days that building was white with bright pink trim and in good condition. We had seven good years of living there and even assisted our close friend, Roanna Hepburn, in purchasing a fourplex on Grove Street. Roanna started living there in 1983 and three years later, Barry and I purchased half of the building and took up residence in one of the suites. Our other suite was Barry’s office and part of an informal teacher resource centre which we developed in the basement.

In those years I was very focused on my work as a teacher. I taught and learned with just about every age group at my four schools which were William Whyte, Argyle Alternative High School, Laura Secord School, and finally R.B. Russell Vocational. I retired from Winnipeg School Division in 2001, and our little teacher centre closed the following year. This created a space in my life for new involvements. I became active in the Point Douglas Residents Committee, and at one of the meetings I was asked to pull together a group of people and get a modest community newsletter produced. Little did I realize that this project would become my main focus for the next seven years—and counting!

Due to the vision and determination of Heather Geddie—yes, the founder of this very website—the newsletter already had a name (The Point), a masthead, and a suggested format. In usual North Point Douglas style, the group of independent thinkers which met to make a plan for producing the newsletter didn’t agree on very much. Heather advocated for 24 pages and I wanted 4…our first issue, photocopied at Winnipeg Education Centre, was 8 pages. With the very next issue this became 12 pages, which has continued to be our usual format. From the very beginning there was a special energy and commitment associated with The Point. We owe thanks to the late Nancy Barbour who poured her charm and energy into securing funding for the fledging newsletter.

Over the intervening years The Point has developed into a very meaningful part of my life and, I like to think, of our community. Yes, there are obstacles and frustrations; yes, I understand that the newsletter doesn’t yet reflect the rich diversity of Point Douglas and doesn’t include voices which need to be heard. At present we are able to publish 11 times per year, and I feel privileged to work with the production team—my co-editor Valerie Himkowski and layout staff Alex and Cliff Stornel-- and writers who contribute month after month, with very little monetary compensation. This newsletter is largely a labour of love and an expression of commitment to community.  

Mary Mathias

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